The Fight against Discrimination of People with Albinism - An Example
The albinism rate in Tanzania is one of the highest in the world. Still, people with albinism face many challenges. An insight into the work of TAS Morogoro shows what the fight against discrimination and for the rights and the dignity of people with albinism can look like.
Interview with Hassan Mikazi from TAS Morogoro We interviewed Hassan Mikazi in order to better understand the struggels of people with albinism and the work of TAS Morogoro. [Foto von Milla Schulze Kökelsum, All of the shown people agreed to the publication of the photo.]
Whether in wildlife or among humans, albinism can be found everywhere around the world. However, Tanzania is one of the countries with the highest number of people with albinism, counting 74 000 people according to the Tanzanian Bureau of Statistics in 2024.
What is albinism?
Albinism is a genetic condition characterized by a lack of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin, hair, and eye color. Individuals with albinism may have very light skin, hair, and eyes, and are more vulnerable to sunburn due to the absence of melanin's protective effects. In the eyes, albinism can cause visual impairments such as reduced sharpness, sensitivity to light and involuntary eye movements. People with albinism may also experience problems with depth perception and may require corrective lenses. [1]
What challenges do people with albinism face?
In order to answer that question, we interviewed Hassan Mikazi, the regional chairperson of the Tanzanian Albinism Society Morogoro (TAS Morogoro). TAS, established in 1987, works in almost all regions in Tanzania, empowering and protecting people with albinism in 25 out of 31 regions in the country [2]. The Morogoro branch, TAS Morogoro, started their work in 2006 [3]. According to Hassan Mikazi, a lot of people in Tanzania do not know that genetics are the reason for albinism. Hence, people with albinism and their families face a lot of challenges and discrimination in their communities. Apart from the people with albinism themselves, especially their mothers are affected as they are oftentimes the ones who are seen as responsible for their child's condition. “Sometimes they think having albinism is a curse” or that people with albinism are not human. Another especially harmful belief is that having body parts like limbs and teeth of a person with albinism brings money, success and luck in elections or career. This mindset seems to come from Tanzanian "witch doctors" who mix body parts of people with albinism with some medicine or herbs and then sell it for a really high price [4]. The term "witch doctor" describes traditional African healers in mostly rural areas who claim to heal either physical or spiritual troubles or both. Included are government-certified herbalists on one hand and local village healers on the other. Every "witch doctor" practices differently, claiming to heal different troubles and using different methods. Most villages in rural areas have their own traditional healer who is usually consulted first in case of any physical or spiritual problem because the next hospital is often far away and a visit comes with high costs [5]. Furthermore, many people trust traditional healers because of their long history as a part of Tanzanian culture. According to a Pew Research Center Report from 2012, around 93% of Tanzanians believed in the existence of witchcraft, with about 60% visiting "witch doctors" [6]. Though the percentage has probably declined since, it is still estimated to be a significant number of people. Hassan Mikazi says:
“Many people with albinism have been killed due to the bad belief.”
However, killings and mutilation are not the highest risk for people with albinism. It is skin cancer, also called the silent killer, that reduces the life expectancy of a person with albinism in Tanzania to under 40 years [7]. If they use and have access to things like hats and sunscreen to protect them from the harmful UV-rays, they can reach a normal life expectancy. But those things are expensive and in remote areas often not available. Furthermore, the visual restrictions mentioned above are challenging, for example in school when reading something on the blackboard. Like skin protection, low vision devices like glasses are often too expensive for the majority. Hassan Mikazi continues emphasizing
“So, as an organization we stand up to create awareness about albinism and plan different programs in the communities.”
How does TAS Morogoro help?
TAS fights for an inclusive education by providing awareness to teachers and school committees and works together with the government to send children with albinism to schools that are adjusted to their needs. Also, they give out education scholarships to promote equal opportunities. TAS gives out low vision devices like glasses as a way of fighting against visual restrictions or plants trees on the schoolground for more shadow as well. Additionally, the organization is advocating for the rights and dignity of people with albinism. Therefore, they are organizing community events and dialogues or discussions with the regional commissioner and the police. The head organization TAS (Tanzania Albinism Society) even created the international Albinism Awareness Day on 13th of June that was adopted by the UN later on. Creative events like the "Miss international albinism awareness day" are also part of their program. Furthermore, it is TAS’ goal to strengthen the confidence of people with albinism for example by showing successful people with albinism. In order to fight the high risk of skin cancer, TAS Morogoro distributes sunscreen or other sun-protectors, provides health insurance for 100 people and makes it possible to visit the dermatologist in Morogoro referral hospital for free. Unfortunately, especially people in remote areas often can’t reach a hospital because of the high transportation fees. Also, their mobile clinic can’t fully solve this issue. Hassan Mikazi also talks about other difficulties like the high costs to hire an expert for the mobile clinic. Furthermore, as he has albinism himself, he is using protection from the police when he is visiting a village for the first time. While this is necessary for his own security, it also makes the work more difficult for him because the police sometimes scare people away. Because people with albinism are not able to do jobs where they are exposed to a lot of sunlight and have more difficulties to get a higher education because of discrimination, TAS Morogoro provides training and apprenticeships or connects them to government loans with zero interest rates. For example, they taught some people how to farm vegetables and fruits, while avoiding sunlight by farming under a certain net and using the morning and evening hours. According to Hassan Mikazi their campaigns together with the work from the government and other institutions have brought success and an increased awareness especially in the city.
“In the town at least we can go everywhere, have friends, establish a relationship with a partner without albinism and engage in community events. But in remote areas the challenge is still high in terms of discrimination, health services and education.”
In conclusion, TAS Morogoro empowers people with albinism who are confronted with different kinds of challenges in their everyday life. These challenges include physical impairments such as visual problems and high risk for skin cancer, discrimination, limited access to important things like sunscreen and glasses and the belief that body parts of people with albinism bring luck. TAS Morogoro fights for an inclusive education, equal opportunities and advocates for the rights and dignity of people with albinism in collaboration with the government. They also distribute necessary devices, provide health insurance to 100 people and organize trainings. However, TAS Morogoro faces some difficulties like the far distance to the hospital for people in remote areas and high costs for the mobile clinic. Also, having albinism himself, Hassan Mikazi needs police protection when he visits a village for the first time which creates a distant and unsettling atmosphere at first. Still, Mikazi sees success, especially in the city. Despite the difficulties, the team from TAS Morogoro seems passionate about their work driven by the desire to improve the life of people with albinism.
[1] vgl. https://www.aok.de/pk/magazin/koerper-psyche/haut-und-allergie/albinismus-fehlende-pigmente- durch-gendefekt/, Alles Wichtige über die Krankheit Albinismus, 2023, taken from the internet on 13.03.2025 [2] vgl. https://www.devex.com/organizations/tanzania-albinism-society-tas-160022, taken from the internet on 12.03.2025 [3] vgl. https://www.tasmorogoro.or.tz/about.html#abt, taken from the internet on 12.03.2025 [4] vgl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfNZrlXMJrs, What It’s Like To Have Albinism In Tanzania, 2018, taken from the internet on 12.03.2025 [5] vgl. https://www.worktheworld.com/blog/witch-doctors-tanzania-who-they-are-and-what-they-do, Witch-docters in Tanzania: Who they are and what they do, taken from the internet on 02.05.2025 [6] vgl. https://borgenproject.org/witchcraft-threatens-womens-rights-in-tanzania/, Witchcraft threatens women’s rights in Tanzania, taken from the internet on 12.03.2025 [7] vgl. https://adratanzania.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/The-Plight-of-People-with-Albinism-in-Tanzania.pdf, Persons with albinism in Tanzania, Situational Analysis, taken from the internet on 13.03.2025
